Preserving the Species
by aelitaheiderich
Summary: The Doctor and Clara end up in a trap when their stay on a planet turns out to be anything but the relaxing time they were expecting.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: I watched a lot of Doctor Who while I was sick, so this little idea came to me, and I thought I'd write it and put it out there. Let me know what you think!

Chapter 1

The Doctor and Clara both lay on the floor of the TARDIS where they'd dropped, both too exhausted to go any further.

"How long were we gone?" Clara asked at last.

"About three days, Earth-time," the Doctor said weakly, not budging from where he lay. "Give or take. You managed to keep up the whole time, Clara. Well done."

"I try," Clara said. "I wish my bedroom were closer."

"Why?"

"I wouldn't have to go so far before I could get some rest."

"Who needs a bedroom?" the Doctor wanted to know. "All you need is a flat surface. And...not running. Yes, you definitely need to not be running in order to rest."

"Three days of running," Clara sighed. "You sure know how to pick planets to visit, don't you?"

"I didn't know we'd be doing that much running," the Doctor admitted. "Otherwise, it's a perfectly pleasant place."

"With intelligent horror-rabbits looking for their next meal, yeah," Clara said. "You're making less sense than usual, you know. You must be tired, too."

The Doctor turned his head and looked at her. "So that's what this feeling is. Tired. Yes, I'd say 'tired' would describe very well how I'm feeling. I think we both need rest."

"A few quiet days aboard the TARDIS?" Clara said hopefully. "You know, you haven't let me explore too much."

"Why would you want to explore the TARDIS? You already know she's fabulous!"

"You just don't want me poking about," Clara pointed out.

"Nonsense," the Doctor said, peeling himself from the floor at last and heading toward the console. "Oooh. I'm too old to feel like this."

Clara laughed. "The day you're too old for anything...I don't know." She stopped and watched the Doctor. "What are you doing?"

"Checking to make sure everything is running all right," the Doctor said. "Hmm. Everything looks good."

"Hooray," Clara said dryly, slowly getting to her feet and shuffling over to join the Doctor. "Ow. I hurt everywhere."

The Doctor turned and grabbed hold of the view screen, watching images flash by. "So do I. It sounds as if we both need...well, a break. What would you say to visiting the best spa in the universe?"

Clara grinned. She could just imagine the Doctor, in a robe and slippers with his hair wrapped up in a towel turban. "A spa? You?"

"Well, think of it more as a retreat center and resort that gives massages and has incredible swimming pools," he said, flipping switches. "You game?"

She grinned again. "As long as the food's good, sure," she said. "Do I need to pack a bag?"

"A small one," the Doctor admitted. "We're going to be travellers. The people on this planet love travellers and giving hospitality."

"All right, give me ten minutes," Clara said, making her way to her room. "Looking forward to it."

She reached her room with no problem, packed the bag, and headed back to the control room. The Doctor was there, slumped in the chair, eyes closed and dead to the world. Clara was so unused to seeing him asleep that she was immediately worried. "Doctor?"

No answer, but he did twitch in his sleep.

"Doctor?"

He turned his head away from her.

"Doctor!"

"What?!" he yelped, jumping to his feet and running for the console. "What's wrong?! Are we crashing?!"

"No!" Clara shouted, trying to get her voice to carry over the Doctor's panic. "We're not crashing!"

The Doctor stopped checking the sensors and turned to stare at her. "Then why were you yelling?"

"You were unconscious," Clara explained. "I've never seen you like that, and I was...worried."

"Oh. I'm fine. I just...took a little nap."

"A nap? You?"

"I sleep on occasion," the Doctor stated, sounding a trifle hurt. "Sleep is not a purely human thing, you know."

"I figured you must," Clara said, dropping her bag by her feet. "You all right, though? You looked...kinda bad."

"I'm just tired," the Doctor admitted. "I think I need a rest as badly as you do."

The engines, going all this while, stopped with a screech and a thump.

"Ah, good! We're here!"

"Where are we?" Clara asked, grabbing up her bag and pulling the strap over her shoulder.

"It's a planet that calls itself Haven," the Doctor said, leading the way out the door. "Fourth world from the sun Gaspar, and the environment is a lot like Earth and Gallifrey combined, so we both ought to be perfectly comfortable here."

"Why is it called Haven?" Clara asked as the Doctor locked the door to the TARDIS.

"That's what the inhabitants call it. They see it as their sacred duty to provide a haven for weary travelers, the lost, the dispossessed, and the endangered of all species and life. They provide hospitality to intelligent species and they work on preserving and protecting endangered plants and animals."

Clara felt a smile start as she followed the Doctor. They were in the middle of what looked like a large rain forest, filled with ferns, vines, flowers, enormous leafy trees...it looked like paradise. "So what you're telling me is that they're some kind of forest rangers that like hosting guests?"

"Put simplistically, yeah," the Doctor said. "I think you'll like them, Clara."

"What are they like?"

"Compared to humans, they're tall. About seven or eight feet or so. Light skin, but really dark hair. Gorgeous eyes; wait until you see them! You can spend hours looking at them and never see the same color twice!"

"And they all live in the forest?" Clara asked, wondering why they hadn't found any of these people yet.

"Nah, most of them live in the cities. Right now, we're headed to their capital. It's not too far."

He was right. Another five minutes of walking brought them to the edge of the trees, and there, across a grassy plain, was the city. She groaned and sank onto a fallen log. "Doctor, that's at least five miles away! You've got a box that can go anywhere in time and space but it couldn't get us any closer than this?"

"We're supposed to be travelers, Clara," the Doctor reminded her. "Ten to one they already know that we're here and they're sending someone to meet us."

"And if they don't, we're going to be hiking!" Clara said, feeling ready to throw something at her friend. "You might have had a nap, but I've been awake this whole time, and right now I'm really, really..."

A hum cut her off. Looking up, she spotted some sort of vehicle speeding towards them over the plain, and she felt relief wash over her. "Oh, thank goodness."

"See, I was right!" the Doctor said. "I wouldn't make you hike when you were this tired!"

Clara smiled and waited for the vehicle to pull up to them. It was sleek, shiny, and would have sent any car enthusiast into fits with how beautiful it was. When the door opened and the driver got out, she had a moment's fear, the way she always did when meeting a new species, but he looked enough like a human that it was gone almost as soon as it arrived. The being smiled and approached them.

"Welcome to Haven!" he called, leaving his vehicle running. "Are you travellers?"

"Yes, yes, we are travellers," the Doctor said. "I'm the Doctor, and this is Clara. We were wondering if there was space available for us for a short rest."

The being beamed at them, his eyes shifting through several rainbows of color. "Of course there is! Come with me and I'll take you right to where you need to go!"

Inside the vehicle, it was posh and roomy and quite comfortable. If there had been time, Clara would have fallen asleep in the soft chair, but in no time at all they were flying over the city. Tall, ethereal-looking white and silver skyscrapers shone in the sunlight and parks could be seen here and there below. The largest, she could see, were some kinds of zoos or nature preserves. The fact that they were in the middle of the city was a bit disquieting. Couldn't wild animals be dangerous? What if they got out?

"Here we are," their driver said, hovering in front of a large round building. "Traveler's Rest. You two should be comfortable here."

"Thank you," the Doctor said, sounding more than ready to get some serious relaxing done.

Their guide led them inside and across the lobby, taking them straight to what Clara supposed was a female of his species. "Liora, look! Travelers!"

"Wonderful!" Liora beamed. "Our last lot of travelers just left! It's so nice to have more!"

"Hello, there," the Doctor said brightly. "It's a pleasure to meet you!"

"A pleasure to meet you," Liora said politely with a little bow. "Thank you for bringing them, Cai."

Their guide bowed and left, possibly to do...something Haven-ish, Clara supposed.

"I'm the Doctor, and this is Clara, and we've both had a long and weary trip," the Doctor continued. "We were wondering if we could rest before we press on."

"Certainly," Liora said. "We welcome travelers. Please follow me."

Four hours later, Clara had to admit that the Doctor had finally chosen a planet that did not have some sort of threat that had to be vanquished, people saving, or anything else that would require more effort than just relaxing and enjoying herself. Oh, she loved her travels with the Doctor, no question about that, but there were times when she wished they could be just a little less...exhausting.

Liora had shown them both to their quarters, a suite with two bedrooms with private attached baths, a sitting and dining area, and doors that opened to an incredible garden with a swimming pool that actually had a waterfall! The decor was a little boring aside from that, but she supposed that was because this whole place was geared toward rest and recuperation.

She'd spent a lovely hour soaking in the tub in her bathroom (it had been large enough to qualify as a small swimming pool) and then once she was out and dressed in the loose pajama-like outfit that the Havens had provided, she'd spent another lovely hour having a massage and having her hair combed and styled.

She fell asleep then, and she only woke up when the Doctor shook her shoulder. He was smiling and he looked a great deal more relaxed than when she'd last seen him.

"Hi," she said, patting her hair back into place. "Oh, boy. I fell asleep, didn't I?"

"They told me you had," the Doctor said. "A two-hour nap. How do you feel?"

"Better," she admitted. "I must have been really exhausted. In fact, I'm still a little sleepy. Why did you wake me up?"

"It's time for dinner," the Doctor informed her. "The people here can set up quite a spread, especially if you're hungry. Are you hungry?"

Clara felt her mouth water. When had she last eaten? "Yes!" In a second she was on her feet and heading toward the door. Then she stopped and took a good look at the Doctor. It was rare that she saw him dressed in anything but his favorite suit and bow tie, but she had to admit that the loose pajamas and the robe and slippers he was wearing actually looked kind of good on him. Then, she stopped and looked down at herself. "Is it okay to go to dinner dressed like this?"

"This is what travelers wear while they're here," the Doctor explained. "They wouldn't understand if we wanted to change back into our regular clothes right away. We are here for a rest."

"All right, then," Clara said happily. "Let's go eat!"

Liora was waiting right outside their quarters for them and chattering to them happily about all the relaxing and recuperative activities they could look forward to, she led them through the corridors and into a room where five other Havens waited for them. Introductions were made and they were soon sitting down, sampling dozens of different foods that Clara had never imagined could exist.

"Do not tell me what I'm eating," Clara whispered to the Doctor a few minutes into the meal. "I'm enjoying this all too much to think about what I might be eating, okay?"

"I wasn't going to say a thing," the Doctor said innocently as another course was brought in. "I'm enjoying this, too, you know."

"You know, we've spent all this time together and I've rarely seen you eat," Clara said after seeing the Doctor tuck into...well, it smelled and tasted like a fruit salad, but it really looked like nothing Clara had ever seen as food. It looked more like an organic rubbish pile.

"I don't need to eat that much," the Doctor admitted. "Mostly, I eat because I want to taste something, or like most people, I eat because I'm hungry."

"I guess that's an explanation."

Their hosts were very kind during the course of the meal, asking polite questions and answering Clara's questions about the planet. They were more than happy to offer more detail or description whenever she asked, and they were deep in a description of the nearest park when another course of fruit was brought in.

"Holy Tardis!" the Doctor gasped as a basket was set down in front of him. "How is this here?!"

"What?" Clara asked, not seeing what was so exciting about a fruit basket.

The Doctor reached into the basket and pulled out a yellow-green fruit. "This is…this is…from Gallifrey."

Clara stared at the unprepossessing fruit and raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

"Really," the Doctor said, his eyes still locked on it. "How did it come to be here?"

"From the greenhouses," one of their hosts said. "We've collected species of plants and animals from planets everywhere. Samples of that plant were brought back here before that planet was destroyed."

The Doctor was still staring at the fruit, and then slowly, carefully, he took a bite and chewed slowly. "Mmmmm." The look on his face was blissful.

"Good?" Clara teased.

"Very, very good," the Doctor said. "Do you know how long it's been since I tasted one of these?"

"I could guess," Clara said.

"You'd be wrong." He turned to their hosts. "Is there any possible way I could get cuttings of the plants you have from Gallifrey? It would mean a great deal to me."

"Of course," Liora said brightly. "We'd be happy to do so, Doctor."

Dessert ended the meal, along with a hot drink that tasted heavenly. Clara sighed after the first sip and she and the Doctor spent close to twenty minutes savoring what was in the their cups. Once the last drop of the drink was a fond memory, the Doctor and Clara were offered a tour of the Traveler's Rest.

"I'm game for a little walk," Clara said, feeling a bit full from dinner. If the meal she'd just eaten was the Havens' idea of dinner, she'd hate to have to sit down to a feast.

"Sounds lovely," the Doctor said brightly.

Liora led them out of the dining room and through halls and corridors, pointing out gardens, sitting rooms, exercise pavilions, an entertainment complex, and they finished the tour in the largest library Clara had ever seen.

"Wow," Clara breathed, craning her head to see the top shelves on the third tier. "There must be every book ever printed in here!"

"You'd need a whole planet for that," the Doctor said. "But I have to admit that this is impressive."

"Thank you, Doctor," Liora said warmly. "We pride ourselves on our research facility. Many of our visitors come to us to do research. We are very proud indeed of having the largest archive in the galaxy about the last Time Lord."

Clara glanced at the Doctor and grinned. Did they really not know who they had for a visitor?

The Doctor smiled and nodded. "I see. Any chance we could see the archive?"

"I was hoping you would ask that," Liora said happily. "I love to show it off!"

She led them to a room on the second level, leading them up a staircase and past countless shelves. Clara was still overawed at how large the library was and said as much to the Doctor.

"The one on the TARDIS is bigger," he whispered to her so they would not be overheard by their guide.

"Is it?" Clara whispered back. "I've never seen it."

"Well, I'll show you once we go back to the TARDIS. You'll love it."

The archive itself dedicated to the Doctor was a good size, and aside from the shelves and shelves of books, there were maps and even a few artifacts in a glass case.

"Cool," Clara breathed, ready to dive into the stacks and start reading up on the Doctor. He would talk sometimes, but he never answered all of her questions! "Oh, you could spend a lifetime in here reading!"

"You could spend a lifetime reading anywhere," the Doctor reminded her. He looked at a book lying open on a table and smiled, clearly fighting laughter.

"What is it?" Clara whispered.

"Wrong, that's what it is. I feel sorry for anyone coming here to do research on me."

Liora invited them to look around if they wished, and Clara took the invitation and ran with it. In no time at all she had pulled a few books off the shelves and was flipping through them. Whenever she found something interesting, she would show it to the Doctor.

"Wrong. Wrong. Wrong. Oh, that's really wrong. Well, that's not too bad. Wrong. Semi-right." He had been commenting on each passage Clara showed him, enjoying himself immensely. Suddenly, he stopped and re-read a passage. "Who was their source? Was he drunk?"

Clara snorted while fighting down a giggle. "That wrong, huh?"

"Oh, yes. _That_ wrong."

They were studying a book of etchings about the TARDIS with the Doctor chuckling under his breath when Liora found them. "Enjoying yourselves?"

"It's very interesting, the different views and opinions out there," the Doctor said, getting up from his chair.

"Perhaps you would be able to tell us which views and opinions are correct, Doctor." She stopped and appeared to think. "You know, you never did say what you were a doctor of."

"Oh, just the usual kind," the Doctor said lightly.

Liora nodded. "I feel as if I should call you 'Doctor Oncoming Storm'."

The Doctor had been balancing on one heel with his hands in his pockets, slowly revolving and looking around the room. Once Liora had said 'Oncoming Storm,' he swung to a stop and stared at her. "Hmm?"

She smiled at him. "Did you really think we didn't realize who you are? The Doctor? As soon as you introduced yourself, we knew who you were."

"Oh, really?" the Doctor said. "Well, I suppose that with all of this information around, you would notice."

"We are honored to host you, Doctor," Liora said, as the door to the archive opened and their dinner companions joined them. "We are so glad you are come."

"Well, thank you," the Doctor said. He stepped back and stood beside Clara.

"What's wrong?" Clara asked, seeing the Doctor's face. He looked almost...frightened.

"Ah, nothing yet," the Doctor whispered while Liora was speaking to one of her friends. "It just hit me. Why would they devote so much time and effort to researching me?"

Clara thought about it. "You're interesting?"

"I won't argue with you about that, but there are billions of interesting people out there in the universe. Why me?"

"Maybe they think you're a celebrity?" Clara suggested. "You know, the last of the Time Lords and all that?"

"Exactly," the Doctor said. "The last of the Time Lords."

Clara grasped what he was saying. "Ohhh." She fought down the urge to back out of the nearest door. "We're going to end up running, aren't we?"

"Most likely."

"What should we do?"

The Doctor turned to look at her, and the next second he crumpled against her. "Doctor? Doctor!" Carefully, she maneuvered him so he was stretched out on the floor in the recovery pose that she'd learned during First Aid training. "Doctor, what's wrong?"

"Dunno," the Doctor moaned, his words slurring a bit. "I feel funny."

Before Clara could demand that the Havens help him, Liora was at her side. "It's all right, Clara."

"How is it all right? He just collapsed!"

"He was given a little something in his drink at dinner, and it's just now begun to work," Liora explained. "We found a plant from Gallifrey and some information on it. It makes an effective soporific for Time Lords. He's just going to go to sleep; that's all."

"What?!" How could they have just...just drugged someone like that? Who did they think they were?

Clara didn't have any time to start yelling at them. The Doctor grabbed her hand and pulled her down so that her ear was next to his mouth.

"Now that I feel it, I recognize what they've given me," the Doctor said quietly. "They're right; I'm going to go to sleep. I might sleep for a few days. Stay with me while I'm asleep. _Don't_ let them separate us. Don't let them give me anything else. Once I wake up, we are getting out of here."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Clara sat, her post by the side of the Doctor, as it had been for the last three days. It was unnerving to see him so still and quiet. She was used to him up and running about, a bundle of energy that the universe could hardly contain, and yet here he was, sleeping so deeply that he resembled one of those effigies you saw on old tombs.

The macabre image made her shiver, and she took the Doctor's hand for the thousandth time, willing him to wake up. After his collapse, the Havens had brought them both to this set of rooms, in a wing on the other side of the Traveler's Rest. Outside the double doors there was a large garden with a pool and waterfall, but that was where the similarities to their old quarters ended. Beyond the garden was a nature preserve, where she could see animals roaming. Even worse, the only boundary between their garden and the preserve was a line of bushes. She kept expecting to look at the windows and see a salivating beast ready to eat them, but so far, they'd been ignored. She prayed that all of the animals out there were too stupid to figure out how doors worked.

There had been other differences between these quarters and their previous rooms. For one, there was no use in describing the place as "rooms." It was one giant room, divided by screens and curtains when privacy was needed. The wall behind Clara was an enormous floor-to-ceiling mirror. The only other mirrors in the room were small ones on stands. Why was one wall a huge mirror and all the others so small? Her suspicion told her that they were being watched through that wall-mirror, so as a precaution, she kept herself seated between it and the Doctor whenever she could. He was drugged and asleep and she would protect him to the best of her ability, as small as it was.

If not for the fact they were prisoners, Clara reflected, she would be enjoying herself. This place was nice and comfortable and so far, all her needs and wants had been fulfilled by Liora and her ever-helpful minions. They brought her meals, books, games she could play by herself…if not for her worry about the Doctor, then she would feel as if she were on holiday!

Aside from the Havens bringing meals and other things, she and the Doctor had been left largely alone, except for what she thought of as "the medical." Once the Doctor had collapsed and they'd been taken to this room, they'd laid the Doctor on the bed and despite her protests, began to examine him. She hadn't been able to keep them from listening to his hearts and breathing, looking down his throat with some sort of scope, swabbing the inside of his cheek, taking a blood sample, and cutting a lock of his hair. Even scarier had been the number of instruments they'd hooked him up to. Even asleep, she could tell that he'd felt them and that they had been painful, and no matter how much she shouted at them and tried to push past them to disconnect the machines, her puny human strength had been able to accomplish nothing. They'd simply kept her away from the Doctor until the wretched machines were finished running, and then they'd all trooped out, already discussing their findings.

The worst part was that they had taken the tool that the Doctor relied on most. They'd taken the sonic screwdriver.

Gits.

Clara turned her attention back to the Doctor. He had to wake up sometime. He _had _to. She could see that he was still breathing and every now and then he would shift around in bed, so he was still alive. What she didn't understand was why he'd been asleep for so long. Once, during one of their adventures, she'd remarked on how awake he'd seemed when she was absolutely exhausted.

"That's because Time Lords don't need as much sleep as humans," he'd stated. "For some of us, we don't need more than an hour's worth at a time."

"If you don't need more than an hour's worth, then why the heck are you still sleeping?" Clara asked his recumbent form. "Wake up, Doctor. Please."

His only answer was to turn on his side and sigh, which made Clara sigh in answer.

"Hello, Clara," Liora said brightly as she entered, carrying a tray. "Are you hungry?"

"Not really," Clara confessed. Oh, how she hated this woman! She wanted to tear those remarkable eyes out of her head and use them for golf balls!

"That's a shame, the cooks have sent up a feast for you," Liora informed her. "At least try to eat. Is the Doctor still sleeping?"

"As you see," Clara said coldly. "Just exactly how much of that stuff did you give him?"

"Enough to make him sleep," Liora answered. "Mind you, we had to guess a bit at the dose, but it was effective."

"Effective?" Clara repeated in shock. "I can't believe you! You had to guess at the dose? You gave him enough to keep him asleep for days! How do you know that you haven't poisoned him with it? What if he sleeps for the rest of his life?"

"Oh, I'm sure that won't happen," Liora said brightly. "He'll be fine."

"Look at him!" Clara ordered, pointing at the Doctor. "Does that look fine?"

"He's asleep," Liora said. "He's fine."

"That's just it!" Clara shouted. "He doesn't lie still anywhere at any time! He's all energy, up and bounding around like an overgrown puppy! He doesn't do quiet!"

Liora gave her a long, thoughtful look. "Clara, it looks as if you're overwrought. Would you like something to help calm you?"

"Oh, no," Clara said firmly. "No way, lady. You've done your worst already. Please leave us alone."

"As you like," Liora said. "I'll stop by later, all right?"

Once she was gone, Clara gave vent to her feelings by pelting the mirror wall with pillows. If someone was on the other side of it they were probably amused, but at that point she didn't much care. The room had plenty of pillows and cushions and the like and she was able to keep it up for a while without having to re-gather her ammunition. When she was bored with throwing pillows, she went to see what had been left for her lunch. There was soup, salad, and bread. Nothing too exciting. Oh, well.

She ate, sipped at some water, and then re-took her seat by the Doctor's side. A feather had worked its way free of its pillow and she busied herself for a while by playing with it. She blew it from hand to hand, threw it up in the air and caught it on her head, and once, it landed on her nose. The sudden tickling was overwhelming and a second later, she sneezed.

"CARALLUS 6!" the Doctor shouted, suddenly bounding out of bed and darting across the room. "The whole planet is nothing but caves formed from purple crystal! It's breathtaking, Clara! Are you game?"

As quickly as he'd started, he slid to a stop and looked around the room. Then he spotted Clara. "Oh, it wasn't a dream," he said bleakly. Then he sank into a chair and grasped his head. "Nope, definitely not a dream. Why did they have to give me something with a headache from Hades as a side effect?!"

"Doctor," Clara sighed in relief. "It's good to see you awake."

Still holding his head, the Doctor looked at Clara. "It's good to be awake," he said. "I tried to wake myself up when I wasn't dreaming. How long was I asleep?"

"Three days and this morning," Clara reported. "How do you feel?"

"Extremely well-rested," he admitted. "That, and an awful headache! Ouch!"

"Is there anything I can do?" Clara asked.

The Doctor held his head in both hands and groaned. "I'm thinking. Um…is there a bathtub anywhere?"

"Yeah, over here," Clara said, showing him. The WC was the only place that had its own walls, but the tub was just outside it, curtained off from the rest of the room by free-standing screens. It was long enough and deep enough to immerse oneself completely, and Clara had enjoyed more than one bath in it.

"Perfect," the Doctor said as soon as he spotted it. "And clothes?"

"In the chest," Clara said. "A bath is going to help your head?"

"That, and the fact that I've been in bed for the past three days, I feel like I need one," the Doctor confessed. So saying, he took a fresh set of clothes from the chest and disappeared behind the screen. A second later Clara could hear water running and then splashing as the Doctor slipped into the tub. "Oh, COLD! Very, very COLD!"

"Why didn't you run the hot water instead?" Clara called, wondering how anyone, even a Time Lord, could forget the hot water for a bath.

"Because cold will help my head!" the Doctor called back. "I'm going under now; I'll talk to you some more once I've resurfaced!"

Time Lords could hold their breath to an impressive degree, Clara reflected once the Doctor had come back to the surface. He let out most of the cold water, ran some hot, and she could hear him scrubbing and splashing. Finally, at long last, he emerged from the screens, dressed in new clothes and rubbing his hair dry with a towel. "Ah, I feel better. So, fill me in. Tell me what's been going on."

She reported and she noticed that the more she talked, the grimmer he looked. "Right. I see."

"Is that all you can say?" Clara demanded. "Where are your lightning-fast Time Lord wits?"

"Still frozen from that bath," he said lightly. "But don't worry; they'll thaw soon enough, and then they'll have enough to do. We're going to have company."

"How do you know that?" she wanted to know. She'd been thinking this whole time that was soon as the Doctor was awake he would have a plan to escape and they would get away and everything would be all right again. It was childish to think that way, she supposed, but she'd also come to expect it over her time with the Doctor. In her experience, he always had a plan and a way to get out of tight spots.

He smiled at her, a smile that had frightened entire armies and brought despots to their knees. "Because I'm awake."

* * *

><p>He was right. Within ten minutes, Liora and two of her minions had shown up, all smiling and looking as if they wanted nothing more than to talk with him.<p>

"Hello, Doctor!" Liora said brightly. "How are you feeling?"

He gave a calm smile that promised trouble for the Havens. "Very well-rested. I had no idea there was anyone left in the universe who knew about Gallifreyan drugs. I'm impressed."

"With enough study, one can learn anything," Liora said. "Are you hungry? Thirsty?"

"No, thank you," the Doctor answered politely. "I don't have time right now for another nap."

A chuckle ran through the Havens and their eyes shifted color so much that Clara was dizzy.

"There is no need now to drug you, Doctor," Liora said, her tone clearly conveying that she felt the Doctor was silly for being so suspicious. "You are here in the area we've prepared for you, and you've already been examined."

He stared at her and folded his arms. "Examined for what?"

"To make sure you were in good health," Liora stated. "I'm happy to report that you're in perfect health, if a trifle thin. Muscle tone is good, both hearts are strong, and everything else is functioning well. Do you have any questions about your exam?"

"Who gave you permission to examine me?" the Doctor asked immediately, his tone heavy with cold anger. "I don't recall consenting to an exam."

One of Liora's minions spoke up. "Consent was not needed, Doctor."

Clara stared at him. "Excuse me? What do you mean, not needed? He didn't give his permission for an exam or anything like that to be done! Don't you remember me trying to stop you and telling you that you had no right do anything of the sort?"

The smile he gave her was, _Isn't she cute?_ "Consent is not needed for one of the species we protect. If it is for the species' benefit, then we will do whatever is necessary for the continued health and well-being of the species."

"I truly hope that you're not saying what I think you're saying," the Doctor said, pacing back and forth. "The question has to be asked, though. Am I prisoner here?"

Liora tilted her head in thought. "Well, we intend to make you as comfortable as possible. That way, we hope you won't feel the confinement too keenly."

The Doctor groaned. "Confinement is confinement, no matter how you look at it, and I've always hated it! I've been confined in a whole range of buildings, from palaces to dungeons, and not one of them was pleasant, and believe me, I've felt the confinement pretty keenly every time!"

"You'll have a great deal of freedom, though, Doctor," Liora hurried to assure him. "You'll be allowed to wander the Traveler's Rest in the afternoons, you'll have use of all the facilities, and we'll be planning excursions for you. You won't just be locked in this room all your days with nothing to do and nowhere to go and no one to see."

"I want the freedom to leave," the Doctor stated firmly with gritted teeth. "False freedom is not freedom at all."

"If you can find a way out, then you deserve to leave," Minion 1 said, smiling with anticipation. "Searching for a way out will at least give you something to do if you become bored."

"But we don't intend to allow you to be bored," Liora said soothingly. "There is plenty to do here at the Rest, and there are other places…"

"No," the Doctor said. "I do not want to stay here and have activities planned for me. I wish to go."

"That is not possible, Doctor," Liora said. "You are the rarest species in the universe now. You must stay here, where you will be safe."

"I don't want to be safe. Safe is boring," the Doctor complained. "I'm not going to stay here."

Clara, who had been thinking all this time, spoke up. "You said that he would be allowed to go where he liked in the afternoons. What will he be doing in the mornings that you would only specify the afternoons?"

"In the mornings will be observation," Liora told them.

"Observation?" the Doctor echoed. "Observation for what?"

"It won't be difficult," Liora promised. "You need do nothing special, and I can tell you that you won't even know anyone is there during observation."

It dawned on them both at the same time.

"I am _not_ a zoo animal!" the Doctor shouted furiously.

"You can't do this to him!" Clara protested. "Why on earth do you need to put him on display like this?!"

"Of course you're not a zoo animal," Liora said pertly. "We don't view you that way, but it is necessary for observation. People need to know about the Time Lords and one of the best ways to do that is observation."

"What if I don't cooperate?" the Doctor wanted to know. "It'll be pretty hard for me to be observed, won't it, if I don't cooperate with your plans?"

"That isn't a worry, Doctor," Liora said. "I know that this is hard to accept for you, but in time you'll adjust."

Clara stared at this woman, unable to believe her ears. "What if he doesn't adjust? What if he can't?"

Liora shook her head. "It will only take time, Clara. Not to worry."

"Oh, I'm worried," Clara snapped.

The Doctor was pacing by this time, his entire frame radiating fury.

Liora watched him for a moment. "Doctor, if there's anything you would like, now would be the time to ask for it."

He kept pacing, his jaw working as he ground his teeth. "Books. I'm going to need plenty of books."

"All right, anything else?"

He paced a moment, thinking. "Mine and Clara's things," he said. "I don't know where you've put them, but we'd like them back."

"We can do that," Liora assured him. She watched him pace for a few minutes. "Doctor, I get the feeling that you're agitated."

"Of course I'm agitated," he snarled, still pacing. "I've just learned that I'm a bloody zoo animal in the universe's biggest zoo! Who could be calm about that?"

"Being so overwrought over time can be detrimental to your health," Liora warned. "Please endeavor to calm yourself."

The Doctor stared at her in disbelief. "Of course, we can't have anything detrimental to my health happen! You don't want to lose your star exhibit!"

Liora's eyes turned cold. "We shall return when you have calmed yourself, Doctor. Have a pleasant day."

They trooped out, leaving the Doctor and Clara to themselves. Clara, furious, grabbed up a pillow and hurled it at the door.

The Doctor just watched her. "Feel better?"

"A bit," she admitted. "So, what do we do?"

"It's logical to assume that they're not only watching but listening to us as well," he said. "That limits what we can talk about openly."

"Oo-day ou-yay ink-thay ay-they ow-knay ig-pay atin-lay?" Clara asked, taking a chance.

"Oh-nay idea-way," the Doctor answered with a smile. "It would be easy enough to figure out, though."

Clara thought about it. "Probably. I just thought I'd try."

"We have to think of a way to communicate if they are really listening to us. We could try...thinking...at each other, but it could be difficult for you if you're not used to it."

"I don't know if we could keep that up for very long," Clara said. "I mean, doesn't your brain jump around a lot?"

His eyebrows shot almost to his hairline. "My brain? MY brain? You're human, Clara. Humans haven't won the prize for clear and logical thinking, you know."

"You're right, we probably got our thinking habits from you popping in and out of our history all those times."

"And there's the sass I was expecting," the Doctor groaned, dropping into a chair. "That's not helpful."

"It's not helpful when you insult species," Clara pointed out.

"All right, I'm sorry," the Doctor said. "I only insult species when I'm upset."

"Since anyone would be upset over this, that's okay," Clara said, patting her friend on the shoulder. "It's not everybody who wakes up to learn that they're now the prize exhibit in a zoo. You've a right to be upset."

"Mmm-hmm," the Doctor agreed. He sat up straight and looked at her. "Still, I don't see many options. Would you be willing to try it?"

Clara thought about it. "You're talking about reading each other's minds, right?"

He nodded.

"Okay. Can humans read your mind?"

"Some have," the Doctor admitted. He shrugged. "I was surprised, but it was useful. I'm thinking, that with all of the things we've been through together and all the things you've seen, it would be easier for you. Are you willing to try?"

Clara grinned. "Geronimo."

It took a few minutes, but together they were able to communicate. For Clara it was bits and pieces of thoughts. She had to admit that they'd taken the sonic screwdriver and that she hadn't seen it since. She shared all the information she could about their quarters and things she'd overheard and seen for the past few days. At last, the Doctor broke the link and sat back in his chair. "Hmm."

Clara sat in the chair beside his. "Yep."

The Doctor stayed where he was, thinking. Finally, he got up and started to pace.

"What are you thinking?" Clara asked.

"It's still...nebulous. I'll have to think some more."

The door opened, revealing Liora. She carried a large satchel full of books and a smaller bag, as well as the duffel bag that Clara had brought along from the TARDIS. "Here are the books you requested, as well as your things, Doctor. Is there anything else you'd like?"

"A fruit basket would be nice. Fish fingers with custard. Some cold drinks. See what you can do. If you're my keeper, then it would be your job to see to that, right?"

"You don't require a keeper, Doctor, but I'll see if those things can be obtained for you," she said. "Just one question: Fish fingers and custard?"

"Yeah, good luck finding that," Clara said, taking the bags from Liora. Immediately she opened her duffel and began to rummage through it.

"You heard her, good luck," the Doctor said.

Liora took the hint and left. Once she was gone the Doctor hurried to Clara's side and began to paw through the bag. "Please say you have something useful in here."

"I don't know what you would find useful," Clara said doubtfully. "You're welcome to have a look, though."

He looked through the bag, but at last he closed it and sighed. "I don't know. I'll have to think." He started pacing. "Clara, what do we do if I can't think of anything?"

"Don't be stupid," Clara answered. "There's the two of us. We'll manage."

Her tone and the way she grinned at him made him grin in return. "Yes, we will."


End file.
